Britain entered World War 2 in 1939 after Germany invaded Poland. While the British were able to evacuate over 338,000 troops from Dunkirk in 1940, they lost valuable equipment. Germany then invaded France and soon controlled much of Western Europe. The Battle of Britain in 1940 was a major turning point as the British Royal Air Force defeated the German Luftwaffe, preventing invasion. Fighting also occurred in North Africa between British and German forces. By late 1942, the tide began to turn as the Soviets defeated Germany at Stalingrad and the Allies invaded Italy. On D-Day in 1944, Allied forces invaded Normandy and advanced towards Germany. The war ended in 1945 after the Allies invaded Germany from both east and west and dropped